The Federal Government is set to double Nigeria’s annual milk production to 1.4 million tonnes within five years, leveraging the introduction of high-yield Danish dairy cows to transform the country’s livestock sector.

Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Maiha, disclosed this on Monday, noting that a local Nigerian farm had already imported over 200 Danish heifers as part of broader efforts to modernize dairy farming and improve productivity.

“Our goal is ambitious but achievable, to double Nigeria’s milk production from 700,000 tonnes to 1.4 million tonnes annually in the next five years. We are beginning to see the results of investing in high-yield breeds like the Danish dairy cows, which are far more productive than traditional pastoralist breeds,” Maiha stated.

Nigeria, with a cattle population of over 20.9 million, has long grappled with low milk output due to reliance on indigenous low-yielding breeds. The country consumes around 1.6 million tonnes of milk annually, creating a significant supply gap that has led to approximately 60 percent of dairy consumption being met through imports.

To address this, the government is backing initiatives that focus on breed improvement, pasture development, and sustainable herd management. According to the minister, eight new pasture species have been registered, marking the first such registration in nearly five decades, alongside the launch of a national strategy for animal genetic resources with support from the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).

“With over 20.9 million cattle, 60 million sheep, and 1.4 million goats already, we are not starting from zero, we are building from strength.”